Director, Program Strategy & Management, Rare Tumor

EMD Serono • Boston, MA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

This role is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing complex Patient Access Services (PAS) programs that support patients prescribed EMD Serono rare tumor products. This role ensures seamless collaboration and execution across multiple internal and external partners to deliver on brand, patient, and caregiver expectations in a highly complex and evolving rare disease environment. The individual leads strategic initiatives to increase awareness, education, and utilization of patient support programs, with the goal of maximizing access, adherence, and positive patient outcomes. In addition, this role owns the day‑to‑day operational oversight of PAS programs, including adjudication challenges, patient, healthcare provider (HCP), and specialty pharmacy inquiries, work instructions, audits, financial management, vendor oversight, and governance of digital platforms that support rare tumor patient services. This role partners closely with Market Access, Brand teams, Medical, and PAS Operations (internal and outsourced) to deliver innovative, patient‑centered solutions aligned with the PAS mission of putting patients and their care partners first. The Director is also responsible for defining the data vision and strategy for Rare Tumor Patient Access Programs, enabling end‑to‑end patient journey tracking and advanced analytics to support decision‑making across the portfolio. The Director is responsible for driving the ongoing development, optimization, and execution of complex, cross‑functional patient access initiatives that support best‑in‑class Rare Tumor patient access programs and tools. This role collaborates closely with Brand teams, PAS operations, external vendor partners, and internal stakeholders to ensure seamless service delivery and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Fluent English required
• 8+ years of experience developing and managing biopharmaceutical patient access services (manufacturer or vendor)
• 6+ years with a Master’s degree
• 5+ years with a PhD

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred
• Strong experience partnering with Brand and Marketing teams to deliver patient‑centric access solutions aligned to business objectives.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives and manage influence without direct authority.
• Deep understanding of change management and the ability to lead through complexity and ambiguity.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience managing complex vendor relationships and external partnerships.
• Demonstrated analytical capability and experience designing, measuring, and reporting performance metrics.
• Results‑oriented mindset with sound judgment and strong decision‑making skills.
• Track record of innovation, continuous improvement, and challenging the status quo.
• High ethical standards with a strong commitment to compliance, transparency, and integrity.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the development, evolution, and enhancement of Rare Tumor patient access programs in partnership with Brand, PAS Operations, and external vendors.
• Design and implement service delivery criteria for free goods, copay assistance, patient assistance programs (PAP), and access support services aligned with brand strategy and patient needs.
• Serve as the primary point of contact between PAS operations, external vendors, and Brand teams, ensuring alignment of activities to achieve brand and patient access objectives.
• Lead end‑to‑end RFP processes and vendor selection, onboarding, and performance management to optimize Rare Tumor patient access services.
• Partner cross‑functionally to identify and deliver targeted solutions addressing shared strategic priorities across Market Access, Medical, Commercial, and PAS.
• Act as the central point of contact for Rare Tumor patient access matters across Field teams, Regulatory, Drug Safety, Compliance, and Information Management.
• Monitor evolving legislative, policy, and regulatory requirements impacting rare disease and oncology patient support programs, partnering closely with Legal, Compliance, and Government Affairs.
• Leverage advanced analytical capabilities to generate insights, guide program optimization, and inform innovation across Rare Tumor patient services.
• Lead cross‑functional efforts to develop and maintain SOPs, work instructions, and governance documentation related to PAS activities.
• Manage and support all internal and external audits related to Rare Tumor patient access services.
• Ensure vendor compliance with SLAs, including performance tracking, reporting, and management of credits or penalties.
• Provide strategic oversight of PAP and copay programs, including governance, optimization, and continuous improvement.
• Own the Rare Tumor patient journey from a data perspective, ensuring robust, compliant data collection across the full patient lifecycle.
• Oversee annual budgets, contracts, and financial performance related to Rare Tumor patient access programs.
• Develop and execute data strategies for collection, transfer, and analytics in collaboration with PAS Analytics, IT, and Business Excellence teams.
• Assist in technical activities related to iBOND, including requirements gathering, data flow management, issue triage, UAT support, reporting, and training.
• Oversee Rare Tumor program websites and digital platforms, including technical issue resolution, content updates, and major enhancements or redesigns.

Benefits

• Access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace.
• Culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director